Machesney Park man faces child porn charges

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) has announced charges against a Winnebago County man on multiple counts of distributing and possessing child pornography as part of “Operation Glass House,” her statewide initiative to apprehend the most active offenders who download and trade child pornography online.

Jordan Stoltz, 23, of Machesney Park, Ill., was arrested after investigators with Madigan’s office and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at his home in the 1000 block of Kingsley Drive. Stoltz was charged with three counts of distribution of child pornography, a Class X felony, each punishable by six to 30 years in prison, and three counts of possession of child pornography, a Class 2 felony, each punishable by three to seven years in prison. Bond was set at $250,000.

“The spread of child pornography online has led to an epidemic of child exploitation,” Madigan said. “These criminals are lurking behind closed doors, trading and downloading vile images of children being sexually abused. What they may not realize, though, is that we can track what they’re doing online, and we will continue to be relentless in apprehending the state’s worst offenders for destroying the lives of these innocent victims.”

This is the 62nd arrest of Madigan’s Operation Glass House that she launched in 2010 to investigate and arrest offenders trading child pornography online. The operation’s investigations conducted by Madigan’s High-Tech Crimes Bureau have revealed a disturbing community of criminals who are trading and viewing extremely violent videos of children as young as infants being raped and abused.

Madigan’s investigation was assisted by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case.

“The Office of the State’s Attorney takes child pornography cases very seriously. These are not victimless crimes,” said Winnebago County State’s Attorney Joe Bruscato (D). “Every time someone looks at these types of images, the child becomes a victim all over again. It is our duty as a prosecutor to seek justice for the victims, and seek convictions against those who choose to trade and view child pornography.”

In addition to Operation Glass House, Madigan leads the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. The Task Force investigates child exploitation crimes and trains local and county level law enforcement agencies throughout Illinois to do the same. Since 2006, Madigan’s ICAC task force has been involved in 770 arrests of sexual predators. The task force has also provided Internet safety training and education to more than 367,400 parents, teachers and students and more than 17,500 law enforcement professionals.